lemlist vs Instantly.ai
lemlist and Instantly.ai side by side: what each one is, what it costs to start, and whether you can try it free. Everything below comes from the vendors' own sites and other public sources, not from hands-on testing.
At a glance
| lemlist | Instantly.ai | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Sales & CRM | Sales & CRM |
| Starting price | $55/mo (checked October 2026) | $47/mo (checked October 2026) |
| Free tier | Not listed | Not listed |
| Profile | Read profile | Read profile |
Prices are in US dollars unless shown otherwise. Confirm the current price on the vendor's site before you buy.
Key differences
Neither lists a free tier, so expect to pay to use either one.
Instantly.ai has the lower starting price ($47/mo against $55/mo for lemlist). The cheapest plan rarely has the same limits or features, so compare plans before choosing on price.
Both are in our Sales & CRM category.
About each tool
lemlist
Sales engagement platform for email and multichannel outreach with a lead database; Email plan from $55 a month billed yearly ($69 monthly).
Who it is for
Sales and outbound teams that want lead data, email warm-up and multichannel sequences in one tool. The vendor positions Enterprise for larger teams that need central control, SSO, compliance review or invoice payment.
Strengths
- The pricing page lists unlimited users and email senders on the Email plan, along with an email and phone finder, a 650M+ lead database, warm-up, a deliverability hub, CRM integrations and an API.
- The Multichannel plan adds LinkedIn automation, SMS automation, a built-in call dialer and VoIP integrations; WhatsApp automation is listed as a separate add-on.
- lemlist lists native CRM sync with HubSpot, Salesforce and Pipedrive, and an MCP server for campaigns, leads and enrichment (vendor's AI info page).
Limitations
- The Email plan is sold by monthly sending volume, starting at 50,000 emails a month at $69 monthly ($55 billed yearly) and rising to 1,000,000 at $659 monthly ($527 billed yearly); the cap is team-wide and active campaigns pause when it is reached. The help center says Email does not include LinkedIn actions, WhatsApp or calling minutes.
- Data features use credits: the help center lists 400 free enrichment credits per Multichannel user a month, and the Lead data enrichment add-on is $20 a month ($16 shown discounted) for 2,000 credits. The trial gives 200 one-time credits, and after a 14-day trial accounts move to a Freemium plan with no campaign sending.
- The terms say the Minimum Annual Fee is non-cancelable and non-refundable, unused fees for a month or year already begun are not refunded, and unused credits are lost without refund. Cancelling stops future billing at the end of the cycle, and the terms contain conflicting language about automatic renewal.
- The help center says lemlist does not delete data when you cancel and keeps it until you request deletion. The terms do not say explicitly whether customer data is used to train AI models, and the sending policy allows lemlist to limit sending or close accounts over complaints.
Instantly.ai
Cold email outreach platform with unlimited email accounts and warmup, plus separate credits plans for lead data and AI agents. Outreach starts at $47 a month, billed monthly.
Who it is for
Instantly's pricing and help pages describe sales and outbound teams that send email campaigns from many mailboxes. It also sells done-for-you domains and email accounts and a custom-priced VIP setup service for teams that want hands-on help.
Strengths
- Instantly lists unlimited email accounts, automated warmup, analytics, scheduling, bounce detection, and API access on all Outreach plans.
- Instantly lists the Automation Builder at no extra cost on all plans.
- Instantly says there are no overage fees: when a plan's volume is used up, you move to a higher tier.
- Instantly lists native webhooks and a Deliverability AI Agent from the Hypergrowth plan. Its blog describes native HubSpot and Pipedrive connections and Zapier and Make workflows, and says Salesforce works through a partner, OutboundSync.
- Instantly's help center says the CRM covers email, calls, SMS, tasks, and LinkedIn in one place, with a unified inbox and opportunity stages; it describes unlimited seats at a flat price.
- Instantly sells done-for-you sending infrastructure: domains at $15 a year, and email accounts at $4, $5, or $10 a month depending on type.
Limitations
- Under the Terms, you keep ownership of your data but grant Instantly a license to process it and to use de-identified or aggregated data to improve its service. AI inputs and outputs count as your data, and Instantly says it is not responsible for how third-party AI services handle them, including for model training.
